“Fat Swim” and Literature’s Fatphobia Problem

Emma Copley Eisenberg is the author of a new collection of short stories entitled “ Fat Swim .” Her work questions body image and the suppression of fatness in contemporary culture; Eisenberg recently paid for a billboard over a busy highway in Philadelphia bearing the slogan “Your gut is a terrible thing to lose.” Eisenberg talked with The New Yorker’s Jennifer Wilson about using fiction to explore body image, and the fatphobia that she finds in literature by some of today’s acclaimed writers. Further reading: “ Fat Swim ,” by Emma Copley Eisenberg New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.

You can listen to “Fat Swim” and Literature’s Fatphobia Problem online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

“Fat Swim” and Literature’s Fatphobia Problem is an episode from The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker.

This episode is 00:19:54 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The New Yorker Radio Hour when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.